The academy's team - comprised of Midshipmen 1st Class Zac
Dannelly, Joe Dinkel, Max Goldwasser, and Bill Young - took top honors for all
undergraduate schools and 3rd place overall in the U.S. competition, held at
American University in Washington, D.C. March 11-12.

To make it into the competition, the mids submitted a cyber
response policy paper based on a hypothetical cyber attack scenario. From these
papers, approximately 40 teams from graduate and undergraduate schools were
selected to attend the competition, including American University, Duke,
Harvard, the National Intelligence University, Stanford, Brown, and Carnegie
Mellon.

In a series of elimination rounds, the teams defended their
recommendations to judging panels representing the National Security Council.
As the teams progressed through each round, they were required to submit and
defend new recommendations in response to various scenario updates. The
midshipman team was the only undergraduate team and the first service academy
team to make it through all the rounds, finishing in 3rd place behind the Air
Force Command and Staff College and the National Intelligence University.

As a result of their outstanding performance, the midshipmen
team was given approval to compete and represent USNA in the Cyber 9/12
international round.

The format of the competition remains the same, with a new
globally-focused cyber incident. They will have to consider policy alternatives
that take into account the full spectrum of international capabilities,
politics, and organizations as they compete with 30 teams from institutions
around the world, including King's College London, the Geneva School of
Diplomacy, the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, Budapest University of Technology
and Economics, Sciences Po Paris, Tallinn University of Technology, and the
Swedish Defence University.

The Cyber 9/12 Student Challenge remains the only major
student competition devoted to national security policy recommendations for
responses during a major cyber incident. It engages students with a group of
senior-level cybersecurity practitioners acting as judges, representing various
sectors including government, finance, telecom, and the press.

Part interactive learning experience and part competitive
scenario exercise, the Cyber 9/12 Student Challenge gives students interested
in cyber conflict policy an opportunity to interact with expert mentors,
judges, and cyber professionals while developing valuable skills in policy
analysis and presentation.

1 comment:

The statement of interest for internship provideonly undergraduate team and the first service academy team to make it through all the rounds, finishing in 3rd place behind the Air Force Command and Staff College and the National Intelligence University.